PennTango

-The Recordings

1. Francisco Canaro
La Melodia de Nuestro Adios
Las Grandes Orquestas del Tango (Blue Moon)
2. Miguel Caló
Yo Soy el Tango (El Bandoneon)
3. Carlos Di Sarli
Instrumental Vol. 1 (Solo Tango)
RCA Victor 100 Años
Instrumental (Tango Argentino)
4. Carlos Di Sarli with vocalists
Sus Primeros Exitos, vol.1 - with vocalist Roberto Rufino (Tango Argentino)
Porteño y Bailarin - with vocalist Jorge Duran (Tango Argentino)
5. Juan D'Arienzo
El Esquinazo 1937-1938 (RCA 70 Años)
Instrumental Vol. 1 (Solo Tango)
Sus Primeros Exitos, vol. 1 (Tango Argentino)
Sus Primeros Exitos, vol. 2 (Tango Argentino BMG-RCA)
El Rey del Compas (El Bandoneon)
6. Anibal Troilo
Yo Soy El Tango (Troilo en RCA Victor)
Instrumental (Tango Argentino)
Troilo/Fiorentino (Solo Tango)
El Inmortal Pichuco (El Bandoneon EBCD 1)
7. Ricardo Tanturi con Alberto Castillo
Tanturi/Castillo (Solo Tango)
Tangos de mi Ciudad (Tango Argentino)
El Tango es el Tango (Tango Argentino)
8. Alfredo De Angelis
From Argentina to the World (EMI)
Instrumentales Inolvidables (EMI Reliquias)
9. Osvaldo Pugliese
Ausencia (EMI Odeon # 8 35886 2)
Instrumentales Inolvidables (EMI Reliquias)
10. Rodolfo Biagi
Sus Exitos con Falgas y Ibanez (EMI Reliquias)
Campo Afuera (El Bandoneon 40)


For a basic collection, we recommend one or two CDs from each of the four great orchestras. Taken together, the music of these four orchestras represent a good sampling of the variety of sounds that characterized the golden age. For Juan D' Arienzo, the best CD to begin with is El Esquinazo 1937-1938 in the RCA series 70 Años. Another excellent choice is Instrumental Vol 1 on the Solo Tango label. Other possibilities are Sus Primeros Exitos vol. 1, or Sus Primeros Exitos vol. 2. For Carlos Di Sarli, the best currently available CDs to begin with is Instrumental Vol. 1. on the Solo Tango label. Alternatives are RCA Victor 100 Años or Instrumental on the Tango Argentino label. For Anibal Troilo, the best CDs for a basic collection are probably Instrumental, and Troilo/Fiorentino. Some of the material found on these two CDs is available on Yo Soy El Tango (RCA) at slightly better fidelity, but the set of tracks is not compelling. Some of the best material from the two CDs are available on El Inmortal Pichuco but at much lower fidelity. For Osvaldo Pugliese, the best CD to begin a collection is Ausencia. If this Pugliese recording proves too difficult to find, Instrumentales Inolvidables would be a reasonable substitute.

1. Juan D' Arienzo
El Esquinazo 1937-1938 (RCA 70 Años - the best set of tracks in the best-sounding collection of D' Arienzo's classics
Instrumental Vol. 1 (Solo Tango) - this CD has more of D' Arienzo's classic instrumentals than any other
Sus Primeros Exitos, vol. 1 (Tango Argentino) - many classic D' Arienzo tangos and a few milongas
Sus Primeros Exitos, vol. 2 (Tango Argentino) - many classic D' Arienzo tangos and a few milongas
2. Carlos Di Sarli
Instrumental Vol.1 (Solo Tango) - probably the best available CD of Di Sarli's instrumental tangos
RCA Victor 100 Años - many Di Sarli classics
Instrumental (Tango Argentino) - many classic Di Sarli instrumentals, but some tracks have too much reverb and processing
3. Anibal Troilo
Instrumental (Tango Argentino) - his early rhythmic classics
Troilo/Fiorentino (Solo Tango) - with the great vocalist Francisco Fiorentino
El Inmortal Pichuco (El Bandoneon EBCD 1) - a lower fidelity alternative
Yo Soy El Tango (Troilo en RCA Victor) - some early instrumental classics and some vocals by Francisco Fiorentino
4. Osvaldo Pugliese
Ausencia (EMI Odeon # 8 35886 2) - an outstanding collection with many of his best recordings
Instrumentales Inolvidables (EMI Reliquias) - many classic Pugliese instrumentals that are not found on Ausencia